Trial by Fire
by stockcarrot
Summary: Amalie is the youngest of the Hawke children, and by far the most fragile. But as she stays in Kirkwall, she begins to grow - as a person, and in her relationships with other people. Includes THREE hawke siblings - Edric, Phaedra, and Amalie - as well as Amalie/Fenris pairing, and will be told as separate short stories. I only own my original characters and original stories. Enjoy!
1. The Three Hawke Children

**-The Three Hawke Children- **

Leandra Hawke had been blessed by the Maker with three very fine children.

Her eldest - a boy - was the spitting image of his father, minus twenty years, of course. Edric was tall, broad-shouldered, and very athletic. He was confident, and headstrong, and drew the attention and respect of everyone in a room the moment he entered it. But his golden eyes were gentle, and complimented his sun kissed skin and dark hair very well, making him not wholly unapproachable. And he did well to care for his family and step in as man of the house after his father's passing.

Though she would dare not admit to anyone outside of herself, Leandra had realized long ago that Edric was, perhaps, her favorite child. If only just by a little.

Born just four years behind her brother, and two years ahead of Leandra's youngest, was Phaedra, the middle child. Phaedra looked much more like her mother than her father, with the sand-colored hair Leandra once had, and the big blue eyes that could get her nearly anything she wanted. She was also tall, for a girl at least, and the most graceful of all of Leandra's children. She was clever and mischievous, and had an answer for almost everything. She sought fun in dark corners, and surrounded herself with questionable people.

But Leandra never fussed with her daughter about those things, because with all that Phaedra was, stupid was not one of them, and she seemed to get herself out of situations just as easily as she got into them.

And then there was Leandra's youngest. Amalie was just as fragile and gentle as her name might suggest. She had been premature - born nearly six weeks earlier than the town healer had predicted she would be. And she was small and thin, and nearly died twice shortly after she came into he world. But Leandra and Malcolm both quickly learned that, small as their youngest daughter might have been, she was still a fighter. She grew up as a normal toddler would, though she somewhat alarmingly looked like neither of her parents - her chestnut curls with the hints of auburn, and the green eyes with bits of blue and just enough gray to make them look stormy. But other than that, Amalie grew up mostly normal.

That was, of course, until she turned six years old and learned that she could make small fires appear out of nowhere with little more than her own willingness to do so and an outstretched hand.

She had run to Leandra in excitement, to show her mommy what she could do. She climbed into her mother's lap, and Leandra watched her patiently, waiting to see what had caused her youngest daughter so much excitement. And she stared, stiff as a board, when little Amalie lifted her small, thin hand and pointed to the candle set on the dining table, and a small flame flickered to life atop of it.

And when Amalie turned to face her mother, a wide grin stretched across her red lips, waiting for her mother's praise, Leandra merely lifted the small girl from her lap and set her on her feet on the floor. Then, she stood without a word, and Amalie watched as her mother took slow steps towards her bedroom, and the smile slowly began slipping from the child's lips. She closed the bedroom door behind her, and a moment later, Amalie could hear hushed sobs coming from her mother.

Leandra stayed like that for days - hiding in her bedroom, and weeping. At first, Amalie thought it was her fault. No matter how much her father assured her that it wasn't, Amalie, small and young as she was, wanted only to right her wrong - fix whatever pain she had caused her mother.

It wasn't until Amalie got a bit older that she began to understand her mother's reaction. Because Leandra had not been weeping _because_ of her daughter. No, she wept _for_ her daughter, and the knowledge that, as a mage, the girl would never be able to lead a normal life.


	2. City of Chains

**-City of Chains-**

Kirkwall. The City of Chains, and Leandra's home. The plan was for the Hawke family - plus, Aveline, the companion they'd picked up in Loathering whose husband wasn't able to make it - to go to Kirkwall and live like the nobles that Leandra once was. To live as though they weren't hiding a mage among them.

Amalie decided as soon as she saw it that she didn't like Kirkwall. It was all browns and grays, and stunk of sweat and desperation. And she missed her home as son as the ship pulled up to the docks.

She followed her family off of the ship, and immediately felt her heart drop into her stomach at the sight before her. Refugees were lined up along the docks. There wasn't enough room for everyone, and they were all nearly piled on top of each other. It reminded Amalie of Loathering right before the darkspawn hit. And worst yet; It looked as if they weren't letting anyone into the city. She stayed behind with her mother as Edric, Phaedra, and Aveline pushed their way to the front of the crowd that was demanding and pleading to be let in.

Edric, being the take-charge older brother that he was, lead the group of three, and Amalie could see from her spot in the back that he was speaking to the guardsman standing at the gate. But it didn't seem to be going very well. Phaedra had started speaking to the guard shortly after, her arms waving around wildly, and the guard had his arms folded over his chest defensively. And then her hands balled into fists, and Aveline placed her hand gently on Phaedra's shoulder - an attempt to try to calm her that seemed to work. She then tried her hand at speaking with the guard, and Edric joined her. Finally, after a long moment of back-and-forth banter between the three of them, the guard finally let out a heavy sigh, his arms falling to his sides. He said one more thing, pointed behind him half-heartedly, and then the conversation was over.

"Is he letting us inside?" Leandra asked when her children - and Aveline - returned to her.

Edric ran a hand through his nearly black hair, then managed a small smile.

"They're letting us go through to the Gallows' Courtyard" he replied dryly.

"And what then?" Amalie's voice was quiet, like she didn't want to ask the question. But everyone else had fallen silent as if they all already knew the answer.

"And then we appeal to the guard there" Edric said. "Maybe see if he'll let us speak to Gamlen."

Leandra's eyes lit up at that, as if she'd forgotten that was the plan all along.

"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. "If I can only talk to Gamlen, I know he can get us into the city!"

And so they set off, Edric and Phaedra leading the group, Aveline trailing closely behind, and Amalie hanging to the back, just to make sure her mother was alright.

The Gallows' Courtyard unnerved the young mage. It was all stone walls and rolling iron gates. There were templars and guardsmen posted everywhere, and some mages strolling about. She momentarily got lost in her thoughts, wondering what it would be like to be a mage of Kirkwall's Circle. None of the mages she saw looked particularly unhappy. But they had had time to get used to being there, resigned themselves to their fate. She imagined that none of them were very happy at all. She shook the thought away. The Circle, no matter where it was located, was a prison. And that she wanted no part of.

The middle-aged, worn-out looking guardsman the group was walking towards seemed to be the one in charge. And he, too, was surrounded by a crowd. But this crowd was different. They were armed to the teeth, and quite frankly, a little intimidating in Amalie's opinion. But that didn't phase Edric, or Phaedra, or Aveline, and the three of them once again pushed their way to the front. Amalie could see them appealing to the guard, but it seemed to be doing them little good. There was too much yelling and swearing and demands to "let us in or else!", and he was getting visibly frustrated.

But then something changed, and Amalie wasn't sure it was for the good. The crowd was looking angrily between Amalie's siblings and Aveline, and the guardsman.

Someone at the front of the crowd was shouting louder than the rest - something about letting _those_ people in when they'd been waiting all day, though it was clear from the guardsman's expression, that was not the case. The others in the small crowd agreed, and before Amalie could even process what was happening, a fight broke out among them.

Amalie felt her heart plunge into her stomach as she watched her sister, all grace and speed, spin around each of her attackers, cutting their throats, or plunging one of her blades into their chests. And Edric, with his shear brute force, swung his greatsword in a wide arc and took some of the rioters out, while Aveline knocked them down with he templars' shield her husband had given her. Then she sliced at them her own sword. More guards poured into the courtyard while the ones that were already posted there joined the fight. And Amalie watched breathlessly to see if any of her siblings - or Aveline - were injured. Because though she wasn't much of a fighter herself, she was an excellent healer, and she doubted that the templars would notice her use of magic with a riot to occupy them.

It wasn't much longer, though, and the fight ended abruptly as Phaedra sunk the blade of her dagger into the last angry refugee. Everyone stood gasping for breath, and nearly the entire courtyard was painted red with he spilled blood. Amalie and Leandra raced over to Phaedra and Edric and Aveline, and Amalie set immediately to checking them for wounds. But they were clean - other than the blood staining their clothes, which she was relieved to se was not any of theirs. Leandra hugged each of them - much to Aveline's surprise - and Edric didn't even give the guard time to catch his breath before he began negotiating their way into the city.

At long last, the guard finally agreed to send for Gamlen to meet them - it was the last he could do for their assistance in the fight. So the five of them climbed the stairs of the courtyard inn search of a shady place to wait for the man who was going to save them all.

* * *

"He isn't coming. We should find another way in."

Phaedra paced up and down in front of Amalie and Leandra, who were seated against the wall behind a pillar. They'd been waiting for three days… And Gamlen still hadn't shown up, and hadn't sent word. Nothing. Everyone was beginning to get cranky, but Phaedra, who'd never been particularly patient, was the worst.

She clenched and unclenched her fists over and over, and her cheeks began turning a bright red as the anger boiled inside of her. Leandra shook her head stubbornly.

"He'll be here" she insisted. And, as if to prove her point, footsteps sounded from the end of the walkway.

Everyone peered around the corners of the shadows, hopeful that the owner of the footsteps belonged to the man they'd been waiting for. But when a dirty, greasy-looking older man with white, stringy hair that needed to be trimmed slowly stepped out of the shadows, every ounce of hope dropped out of their bodies.

Leandra stood slowly, shakily, and approached the older man, throwing her arms around him delicately when she reached him.

"Gamlen" she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "What's happened to you?"

A loud, raspy laugh erupted from his throat, and a heavy sigh escaped his lips when he was done. "Maker's breath, Leandra. You didn't think I'd stay young and handsome forever, did you?" There was a certain bitterness in his voice as he looked at his older sister. And in that moment, he looked ten years older than her.

"I just thought… With all of the money Mother and Father left you, you'd be able to take better care of yourself" she said.

Another laugh, softer this time. "The money's gone, Leandra."

"All of it?"

"Yes, all of it." He rolled his eyes. "I had debts to pay."

He said it so calmly, as if it were no big deal that the handsome fortune his parents left him was completely gone. She choked back tears as he stared up at her younger brother. Edric stepped forward, then, offering Gamlen a smile.

"Is there no way you can help us get into the city, Uncle?" he asked gently, and Gamlen stared thoughtfully at the eldest Hawke child.

He took a deep breath, then told Edric of the only two options that he knew of; Athenril or Meeran, the smuggler and the mercenary. And either one was willing to get the Hawke family into the city… If they agreed to work for them for the next year. Amalie was uncomfortable with the idea of her brother and sister working on her behalf. She said as much out loud, but no one paid her any attention.

Off they went, Edric, Phaedra, and Aveline, to speak with both Meeran and Athenril. Amalie hoped they decided to work for the smuggler over the mercenary. The idea of her siblings being swords-for-hire made her nervous.

An hour later, and they returned. Phaedra looked annoyed, but Aveline and Edric both looked nervous as they approached.

"Well?" Leandra asked, hopeful.

Edric scratched the back of his head. "Athenril has agreed to get us in" he said finally, and Amalie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent" Gamlen said, rubbing his dirty hands together. "I'll go make the arrangements." He disappeared down the courtyard steps then.

"Well, at least we're getting in" Leandra said.

Edric offered his mother a small smile, then took a deep breath. "There's one more thing, though" he said, and Leandra raised her eyebrows. "Apparently Gamlen told Athenril that Amalie is a mage." He whispered the last part.

"So?" Amalie asked, her heart skipping a beat in anticipation.

He was silent for a long moment before finally saying to Amalie what she was afraid he was going to say: "She'll get us into the city. But you have to work for her too."

Amalie wanted to argue, of course. She was no fighter, like her brother and sister. But as she looked at her mother, whose face reflected exhaustion and disappointment, she knew she really had no choice.

So, she simply looked up at her brother, let out a sigh, and replied quietly, "Alright. I'll do it." 


	3. The First Kill

**-The First Kill-**

Amalie had never killed another person before. She didn't even like to eat meat that much, and any stray critters that would seek shelter in her home in Loathering - and caused her mother great distress - she would set free outside, instead of the more brutal ways her sister liked to handle those situations.

Even still, there she was, hidden in the shadows of Kirkwall's docks, waiting for Athenril's most recent shipment of unnamed goods - probably lyrium, because the templars paid really well for that stuff. She pulled her cloak tighter around her neck as a cool breeze blew in from the ocean, bringing with it the scent of salt water. Her grayish-green eyes scanned the deserted streets. The ship with the goods would be arriving very shortly, that she was sure of. And it made her heart pound nervously in her chest.

Her orders had been clear: "Locate the raiders who have been intercepting my shipments and take them out with whatever means necessary" Athenril had said. Then, with an icy glare, she added "I don't want any one of them left alive. We clear?"

And Amalie had nodded, not fully able to grasp what Athenril had just ordered her to do. It occurred to her later, when the full scale of the responsibility that had been handed to her hit her, that working for Athenril was hardly any different than working for the mercenary would have been. There was just as much death - murder - involved. And most of it, she noted most grievously, had been at the hands of her brother and sister.

Amalie, herself, had managed to stay out of the fighting. Instead, she offered her services as a healer to hose who worked for Athenril. But it wasn't long before the elven smuggler got tired of all of that "untapped potential" lingering inside of Amalie. After all, Athenril had never had a mage at her disposal before, and she imagined herself invincible and unstoppable with one on her side.

This was to be Amalie's first quest - proof that Athenril hadn't wasted her coin getting the Hawke family into the city. And though she didn't want to do it, Amalie was more afraid of what would happen to her - to her family - if she didn't. But standing on the docks now, hood pulled down over her face so you could only see her red lips, she wondered if perhaps turning herself over to the circle would be so bad after all.

A sudden movement out of the corner of her eye pulled Amalie away from her thoughts. She turned her head in that direction and saw nothing at first. But as her eyes scanned the dark shadows cast by the buildings across from her, she could see them; four armed men walking carefully, swiftly, towards the edge of the docks where Athenril's ship would be docking. Amalie could see, not far into the distance, the ship slowly making its way toward her.

She turned her attention back to the armed men who had started discussing their plan of attack, and the amount of money they'd make from this raid, making her positive these were the men she was looking for. But she wasn't sure what to do. Athenril hadn't given her any ideas on how exactly to handle the raiders. And she didn't dare ask her brother or sister - Edric wasn't very happy that she was doing it in the first place, and Phaedra didn't really give a shit, which she made perfectly clear. Amalie took a deep breath to clear her head, then began creeping forward, sticking to the shadows as she approached. Her current plan of attack: sneak up on them, then hit them with as much magic as she could muster.

Her heart beat in her chest - so loud, so fast - as she got closer. They were walking quickly and she had to pick up her pace to keep up with them. Her legs trembled beneath her with every step that she took, and her hands had started to sweat. And she was so nervous, so focused on what she was about to do that she didn't see the small shipping container just to the right of her. She stepped forward and the container caught the tip of her boot, and by the time she realized what was happening, she had stumbled forward, hitting the ground hard.

In unison, all four men turned towards Amalie. The leader - a dirty-looking man with greasy hair and sunken-in eyes - raised his eyebrows in surprise, but a wide, yellow-toothed grin slowly slid onto his face.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said, looking Amalie up and down as she pulled herself to her feet. "Come to give us a bit of fun?"

One of the others licked his lips lustfully as he stared at her, and she immediately felt very naked in the leather armor she had borrowed from her sister. He stepped forward, a glint in his eye that made her even more uncomfortable.

She considered turning around and bolting, going back to Gamlen's house, and forgetting the whole thing. But then what? Athenril would know she didn't complete the task given to her. And Maker only knew what would happen then.

So Amalie took another deep breath, stood straight and tall as she could, and said "I'm here to stop the raids on Athenril's shipments."

An awkward silence fell over the raiders before their leader let out aloud, raspy laugh.

"Well, aren't you sweet?" he laughed, then turned to the others. "Boys?"

They surrounded her, then, so quickly she barely had time to process it. One of them, which one she wasn't sure, knocked her to the ground with a hard, back-handed slap across her cheek. They ripped her cloak away from her body, then the dagger Edric had given her for extra protection. The leader kneeled down in front of her, that disgusting grin on his face as he pressed the blade of his own dagger roughly against her neck. She didn't dare even breathe as she looked up at his eyes, meeting his stare and holding it, unflinching.

"Don't worry, pretty girl" he whispered into her ear, the stench of cheap ale heavy on his breath. "We'll be gentle."

He let his hand travel up her exposed leg, and it was then that Amalie's survival instincts kicked in. She closed her eyes, feeling the mana stir inside of her as she silently conjured it. Her body shook, and when she opened her eyes, the magic flew from her body with great force, throwing all four men back. They hit the far wall heavily, then fell to the ground, and she scrambled to her feet.

'You bitch!" the leader barked at her, holding his left arm which was now broken and useless. He lunged at her, rage filling his eyes, but she struck him down with a bolt of electricity, and the others stared in horror as he writhed in pain. Finally, he was still, his last breath escaping his blue lips.

The rest of the men tried to attack her at once, but even in numbers, they realized they were no match for her. She froze two of them in their place, then shattered them into a million tiny pieces - like glass - with the sword that their leader had dropped.

Then it was down to her and just one more. He stared at her, a mixture of fear and rage filling his eyes. He had seen what she did to his friends, but he wasn't ready to give up yet. He pulled the string of his bow taunt, and launched an arrow at Amalie in one quick movement. She let out a yelp as the arrow plunged into her shoulder, and a pain like fire shot down her arm, and up into her collar. Angry and in pain, she unleashed the full force of her magic as a huge fireball flew from her open hand.

The smell of burnt hair and flesh filled her nostrils, making her sick to her stomach, and his screams of pure agony surrounded her as she watched the raider burn alive. And in one short moment, it was over. Silent. She turned toward the sea as Athenril's ship finally pulled into port. The elven smuggler would be glad to know her goods would come in without incident tonight. The weight of the night finally hitting her, Amalie grabbed her cloak from the ground, tired it loosely around her, then headed for home were she could take care of her shoulder, and hopefully, forget everything she had just done.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Edric woke with a start. His gold eyes searched the dark bedroom that he shared with Gamlen as he looked for the noise that had woken him. It was soft, and quiet, and when he finally realized what it was, he also realized why it had woken him up.

He quietly got up from his small bed, careful not to wake his uncle as he tiptoed towards the door. He pulled it open slowly, willing the old bolts not to squeak. When he finally entered the main room, he saw Amalie's small form curled into a ball on the floor in front of the fireplace. Soft sobs shuddered through her thin body as she sat in front of the warm glow of the fire, with her head in her hands.

Edric sat down next to his youngest sister, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. But she didn't acknowledge him - didn't look up, or startle at his touch. She just sat there, crying into her hands.

"Amalie" he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

She looked up at him briefly, and he saw then how exhausted she looked. Her odd green eyes were dark with the shadows beneath them, and she could barely keep them open. Even her complexion looked paler than usual.

"I keep seeing their faces" she whimpered, looking away from her brother. "Their screaming, the smell of burning flesh… I see it, and hear it, and smell it every time I close my eyes. I haven't slept in days… Even the sleeping spells don't work. I don't know what to do."

Edric pulled his sister close, wrapping her in a hug. He wasn't sure what to say - killing raiders, or equally bad men had never been a cause of stress for him. But Amalie had always been different. She was sweet, and kind, and gentle, right down to her bones.

"How do you and Phaedra do it?" she asked quietly, and Edric let out a sigh.

"Amalie" he said gently. "Those men would have killed you without hesitation - maybe even worse - if you hadn't gotten them first. You did nothing wrong."

But Amalie didn't believe that. Nothing about what she had done felt right.

"I'm not cut out for this" she whispered, and he patted her head lovingly.

"Try to get a little rest" he said, and she could feel her eyes growing heavy. "And first thing in the morning, I'll go to Elegant and see about getting you some sleeping potions."

Amalie nodded, feeling the comfort of her brother's embrace. It wasn't long before she finally slipped into a light sleep. And Edric sat like that, letting his little sister catch whatever moments of peace she could. Because he knew this wasn't the end - Athenril would have more tasks she wanted done, more people she wanted dead.

He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. This was going to be a very long year for the Hawke family.


	4. A Rogue's Heart

**-A Rogue's Heart-**

Four months after the Hawke family's arrival, Winter came early to Kirkwall, and it came with a vengeance. Icy cold nights and mornings threatened to freeze people solid in their homes, and harsh winds felt like shards of glass cutting through the city. Still, that did not stop Athenril from carrying on with her business. If anything, it drove her even harder. Few others in Kirkwall could carry out their work in those conditions. But Athenril "hired" more help, and made sure her business stayed flowing.

That's how Jasper Aveil ended up working for Athenril.

No one knew very much about the new "hireling" that the elven smuggler had taken on except that he maybe came from Highever, and he had a long scar starting from his left eyebrow and reaching his cheekbone on the same side. He spoke to no one but Athenril herself, and to anyone's best guess, he was in his mid-to-late twenties.

Phaedra was taken with him right away.

Being the only one of the Hawke siblings who got along and befriended Athenril, Phaedra had been tasked with going with Jasper on his first assignment, and reporting back with the details. It was to be a simple job; Someone owed Athenril money, and she wanted it back. Easy enough, in Phaedra's opinion. Jasper had accepted the task without so much as a blink in Athenril's direction, and then he and Phaedra set off promptly.

It was late in the evening when the two set out for Hightown, but Lord Myral had been avoiding all of the day time visitors tat had come to collect. The two walked side-by-side silently, and Phaedra pulled her cloak tighter around her body as the sharp wind forced its way into her bones.

"You are not like your siblings" Jasper said suddenly, and Phaedra snapped her head up to look at him. It was the first time she had ever heard him speak, and she liked the sound of his voice; soft, but deep.

"No" she replied, looking at him quizzically.

"They have a problem with this" he continued, gesturing between himself and her. "They only do it because they have to, but you… You enjoy it."

His face was expressionless, and Phaedra couldn't tell if he approved or not. Still, there was no point in denying something so obvious that even a stranger could pick up on it.

"It's not the killing part, exactly, that I like" she said, glancing at him quickly, but his eyes were focused straight ahead. "It's the skill and quick-thinking that it takes to outmaneuver your opponent. I enjoy knowing that I'm smarter than most - At least where it counts, anyway."

For the first time since Jasper joined Athenril's group - over a week prior to their current venture - Phaedra saw a small smile teasing the corner of his mouth. He looked at her, his emerald eyes shockingly bright against his sun kissed skin and dark hair, and she struggled to hold his gaze.

"You're not like most girls" he said finally.

She smirked. "Thank you" she said, looking away.

"You're welcome" he answered sincerely.

A natural silence fell over them as they continued their walk to Hightown. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, though. It was something Phaedra found herself getting used to, and actually enjoying almost as much as the company she was with.

"This is it" she said, as they approached one of the estates that lined Hightown. She pulled back the hood of her cloak, and her shoulder-length blonde hair whipped around her face as another gust of icy wind blew around them.

Jasper knocked loudly on the door, and the two of them waited impatiently for someone to answer. But it was silent, as if no one were there at all.

"Athenril is sure that he's here?" Jasper asked, and Phaedra nodded.

"She had someone watching the house the past couple of days" she replied.

Jasper sighed, then reached up and knocked again, louder this time. He waited for a short moment, before digging into his leather boot and pulling out a set of rusted lock picks. Without a word, he set to unlocking the door, and within a few seconds, it swung open quietly, and they both stepped inside.

The inside of the house was completely dark, and it took them a moment for their eyes to adjust. They were surprised to find it nearly empty; there wasn't much furniture and no real signs that anyone lived there.

"I think we've been tricked" Jasper said, annoyance ringing clear in his voice.

But no sooner did those words come out of his mouth than one of the side doors burst open, and coterie men and women flooded the main hall, surrounding Phaedra and Jasper. And though they were sure they had outnumbered the two rogues - and perhaps if they had been anyone else, they _would_ have been outnumbered - Phaedra and Jasper soon learned that they fought very well together.

Jasper fired arrow after arrow relentlessly, his aim never faltering, and always hitting his target. Phaedra was too quick for anyone to land any of their hits on her. She danced effortlessly, gracefully, out of harm's way, slicing at anyone nearby, and taking out the ones who tried for Jasper instead of her.

When it was done - only a short while later - the bodies of six coterie members littered the floor around the duo, their blood pooling beneath them. Without a word, they both set to searching for Lord Myral. Whatever chance he had of surviving their confrontation before the ambush was long gone now. He had made this personal, and nobody threatened neither Phaedra's nor Jasper's life without losing their own.

They found him cowering beneath the large desk in his office, trembling with fear. He was a short, fat man with graying, strawberry-blonde hair, and small dark eyes. He was sweating profusely when Phaedra and Jasper approached him.

"N-now wait just a minute" he stammered when Jasper drew his bow back. "I'm going to pay Athenril back tomorrow. S-see, I have the money right here."

He pulled a small coinpurse from his pocket and placed it on the desk. Phaedra smirked, sauntering over to the scared little man.

"Oh, Lord Myral" she said coldly. "I'm afraid it's much too late for that." She grabbed the coinpurse off of the desk, turning it over in her hand. "My boss will be very happy to have this back, however."

She turned away from Lord Myral with those last words, and Jasper finally released the arrow he'd been holding back. It whizzed past Phaedra's head, and stuck right into Lord Myral's forehead. The fat nobleman dropped to the floor with a thud, and Phaedra shook her head, sighing.

"I'm going to check the other rooms for hidden valuables" she said to Jasper. "Meet you downstairs?"

He nodded, and she disappeared down the hall.

Twenty minutes later, they both exited the estate as if nothing ever happened. Phaedra had been disappointed to learn that the rest of Lord Myral's house had been just as vacant as the main hall had been. She left empty-handed and slightly annoyed.

"Should we do something about the bodies?" Jasper asked, and Phaedra shook her head.

"He was at the very bottom of the list of nobles in Kirkwall for anyone to notice him missing" she replied. "By the time anyone finds him, he'll be nothing but a pile of bones and a red stain on the carpet."

"And what of the Coterie?"

"They're too disorganized to keep up with who's in their group."

Jasper smirked. "You thought of everything."

"Of course" she said, glancing up at him, then looking away when she met his gaze.

When they arrived at Athenril's hideout, Jasper stopped Phaedra at the door.

"I found this around Lord Myral's neck" he said, holding out a silver necklace with a sapphire pendant on it. "It was the only valuable thing in that damnable house."

Phaedra looked at Jasper, then looked at the necklace, then looked back at Jasper again.

"You're giving it to me?" she asked cautiously, and he nodded. "Why?"

He smirked, taking her hand, and placing the necklace inside of it.

"You and I have a lot in common, I think" he said, holding her gaze. "The only difference is that your scars are on the inside."

Phaedra opened her mouth to reply, but Jasper had managed to pull the words right out of her, along with the air in her lungs. He let go of her hand then, and went inside to warm up, leaving Phaedra with her thoughts.

* * *

"So, what do we think of the newest recruit?"

Shortly after Phaedra and Jasper had arrived back to the hideout, Athenril called Phaedra into her office. Phaedra stood before the elven woman, still trying to regain control of her thoughts. She glanced up at the woman when she realized she was waiting for an answer, then cleared her throat.

"He's, uh… nice" Phaedra offered, then immediately wanted to kick her own ass.

Athenril rolled her eyes. "Is he going to be an asset to the 'family'?" she asked impatiently. "Or a liability?"

"An asset, definitely" Phaedra answered too quickly, and Athenril raised her eyebrows. "He, uh, fights well" she continued, trying to save it. "Gets the job done efficiently."

Athenril narrowed her eyes as she stared at Phaedra.

"Did something happen out there that I need to know about?" she asked, and Phaedra rolled her eyes.

"I was just impressed by his skills" she replied flatly. "He's good at what he does."

Athenril looked like she wanted to question Phaedra further. Instead, though, she simply waved her hand at her friend, and said, "Very well. I trust your opinion. Go tell him he's welcome to stay."

Phaedra nodded once, and headed towards the door.

"Oh, by the way" Athenril called, causing Phaedra to pause. "Nice necklace. It matches your eyes _perfectly_."

Phaedra instinctively reached up and touched the sapphire pendant around her neck. Then, she shook her head, and left Athenril smirking knowingly to herself.


	5. Of Happiness and Pain

_I am soooo sorry for the delay! Been having computer problems. I hope you guys like this 'chapter'! And a heads up: I'm a big fan of tragedies, so don't get too attached to any of the characters. _

**-Of Happiness and Pain-**

Dark clouds hung low overhead, threatening to release their hold on much needed rainfall. A cool breeze blew through the Wounded Coast lightly, and the mid-summer day had quickly gone from warm and sunny to chilly and overcast. But even the harsh weather change couldn't dampen the happy mood that had settled over the Hawke siblings and Aveline. This was to be their last major job for Athenril as their time owed to her was almost up.

The job was simple, really: Someone had stolen cargo from one of Athenril's shipments - again - and she wanted them dealt with. It was a fairy tough group of thieves, she'd warned them, but nothing they couldn't handle. It would be a quick in-and-out job, and then the rest of their term would be spent guarding the docks until they were finally free.

Edric and Aveline lead the small group of five, with Amalie following closely behind. Phaedra and Jasper held up the rear guard as the group walked the winding path of the Wounded Coast. They talked quietly amongst themselves - Phaedra and Jasper, and Edric and Aveline. And Amalie kept to herself as she got lost in her thoughts.

She had changed a lot in the past year. Once a shy, timid girl who avoided confrontation at all costs, Amalie had begun to break out of her shell. She still spoke to hardly anyone, but that was more of a personal preference to keep to herself. She was no longer afraid of strangers, and she'd stopped having nightmares after every fight. In fact, she learned that she was rather capable in battle, her strong suit being anything to do with manipulating fire. She didn't enjoy fighting - not like Phaedra and Jasper did - but she didn't run from it either.

As the group rounded a corner, Edric held his hand up to the group - a sign for them to stop - then he pressed his finger to his lips. There was a cave just ahead of them with two lit torches on either side of the mouth, evidence that the cave was being used. It matched the directions Athenril had gotten from her contact in the Undercity.

"This must be it" Aveline whispered, and Edric nodded. "Let's tread carefully, then. I don't expect they won't be completely unprepared, and may have set some traps."

Phaedra rolled her eyes. "Jasper and I will go in first, then" she replied, shoving in between Aveline and Edric.

Everyone else followed the couple as they checked for any traps, then disarmed the few they did find. The opening to the cave led to a long, dark tunnel. Amalie made her way to the middle of the group, opening her small hand, and letting a small flame flicker to life in her palm. It wasn't very bright, but it was enough for the group to make their way through the tunnel. As they drew closer to the end of the tunnel, they could just make out a well-lit opening in the cave. Voices - laughter and talking, mostly - carried through the cave and up through the tunnel, and it was clear that they would be slightly outnumbered by whomever waited on the other side. Not that that had stopped them before. They slowed down as they neared the opening, in an attempt to quiet their footsteps.

Phaedra and Jasper were the first ones out of the tunnel, and they had to move quickly as soon as they entered the cave clearing. Five men, and one woman, were sitting at a large round table with drinks in their hand and food on the table. They jumped up as soon as they saw Phaedra and Jasper, and Edric and Aveline followed quickly behind the couple. Amalie was the last one out of the tunnel. But upon entering the cave clearing, she found she was pretty much useless. The space was too small and too tight, she couldn't dare cast any destruction spells without potentially hitting someone on her side. She stood idly by, pressed against the stone wall as she watched her siblings and friends make short work of the small group.

"Is that it?" she asked when the fight was over, and her brother and sister stood before her covered in blood.

"Doubtful" Edric said. He pointed behind him to a small makeshift door that Amalie hadn't noticed until then.

He walked over to the door, stepping carefully around the bodies that littered the floor. He pushed the door open slowly, carefully, with his free hand on his sword just in case someone - or something - was around the corner. But when the door was fully open, the group could see that it led to another tunnel. Phaedra let out an annoyed groan.

This tunnel was a lot shorter than the first one the group discovered. But at the end, there was no light, only another makeshift door. And when Jasper slowly pushed that open, they were greeted by more darkness. Once their eyes adjusted fully, they could see that this clearing was easily four times that of the first. It was mostly empty, save for the wooden walkways that had been built throughout the room. The group slowly made their way into the clearing, and as they got farther in, they could just make out the shadowy figure of a man standing directly in the center of the floor.

"I was wondering when you would all show up." His voice was deep, gravelly, and he spoke slowly.

Amalie stopped in her tracks when they had gotten close enough to make out the details of the form.

He was tall and bone thin, and his hair was balding, and his eyes had dark shadows beneath them. But that wasn't what made Amalie hesitate. She could sense the evil pouring out of him, smell the death on his body, and feel the blood mixing with the mana inside him. He was a blood mage, of that she had no doubt. And she was absolutely no match for the power he had at his fingertips.

"We have to leave" Amalie managed to whisper. But Phaedra was the only one who heard her sister, and she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous" the rogue said. "Let's just kill this fool, grab Athenril's goods, and be done with it."

"He is a blood mage!" Amalie hissed, her voice slightly louder this time, and the thin man let out a loud, inhuman laugh.

"So you brought a mage to take care of me, did you?" he asked, his eyes locking on Amalie.

"Stealing from Athenril is never a good idea" Phaedra replied, taking a step closer despite her sister's warning.

Another laugh rippled through the man, and he shook his head. "Is that what she told you? That I _stole_ from her?"

Phaedra was getting annoyed. "Stole, borrowed - I don't care about technicalities. You took something of Athenril's, and now she wants you to pay for it."

He rolled his eyes, also getting annoyed. "Athenril wants me gone because my goods are better than hers. Her business is starting to go under, and she wanted us to team up but I turned her down. And now she sent you to kill me. I never touched anything of hers."

The group looked at each other - except for Amalie, who refused to take her eyes off the blood mage.

"Why would she lie to us about a job?" Aveline asked Edric, unsure if she should believe the blood mage, and Edric frowned.

"I suspect" the thin, frail man offered. "She was afraid you'd refuse if you knew the truth."

"Bitch" Aveline muttered.

"Either way" Phaedra said. "She gave us a job to do, and we have to do it."

"I would advise against that" the thin-man said.

Fed up with his talking, Phaedra, in one fluid movement, turned toward the blood mage, throwing one of her daggers at him in the process. The blade pierced his chest, causing him to stumble back. But when he caught his balance again, he looked at her, an icy grin spreading across his lips. He pulled the dagger from his chest and watched as he blood from the wound began to swirl around him at his command. Within seconds, demons and shades burst from the ground beneath them.

The group was far outnumbered this time. Creatures came at them in a blur, clawing and biting as they tried to take them down. Aveline and Edric were on the creatures with their swords, but for every one they killed, the blood mage conjured two more. Amalie fired out as many spells as she could, but she wasn't as strong as a blood mage. He moved easily through the crowd he had conjured with his sights set on Phaedra.

She didn't notice him making his way towards her, or the fact that he was holding the dagger she had thrown at him, as she was too preoccupied with a rage demon. But Jasper noticed. He stepped between the blood mage and Phaedra and shot an arrow into his throat, stopping the mage his tracks. Then, he turned his gaze to Jasper, and with hardly any effort, lifted the rogue from the floor, then threw him hard across the room. Jasper hit the wall, then fell to the ground, his body limp.

"Somebody get him!" Phaedra screamed as more demons surrounded her.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Phaedra felt a sharp pain at her side. She gasped for breath, and looked down to see the dagger she had hit the blood mage with, buried deep into her flesh. She looked up at the evil man, the fire in her eyes slowly going out.

Aveline used that moment of distraction to pummel the blood mage with her shield and he fell to the floor. Edric was there in an instant and wasted no time in bringing his sword down on the maleficar's head. And as his head rolled around on the floor, the demons disappeared all at once, no longer bound to the blood mage.

"Amalie, can you heal her?" Edric asked, kneeling down next to Phaedra. The rogue was lying on the ground, her breathing growing more shallow by the minute.

"I think so" Amalie answered. "I don't have much mana left, but I think it would be enough to heal her." She reached out to her sister with her palms down, but Phaedra wearily pushed her hands away.

"Check on Jasper" Phaedra mumbled almost inaudibly, but Aveline was way ahead of her.

"He's breathing, barely" Aveline said. "I don't know if he'll last much longer."

"Give him a potion until we get back into the city" Edric ordered, and Aveline glanced up at him solemnly.

"I don't have anymore" she answered. "Do you?"

"Shit" he muttered. "I used my last one when that shade got through my armor." He glanced at Amalie, but she shook her head. "Well, can you heal them both?"

She shook her head again. "My mana isn't replenishing fast enough."

Phaedra reached up then, gripping her little sister's hands roughly.

"Go save him" she growled, her glare sharp.

"But then you -"

"I'll be fine!" she hissed. "If you don't save him, I'll never forgive you."

Amalie looked up at Edric who shook his head. "Phaedra, you can't ask us to choose his life over yours" he said. "I'm sorry."

Without warning Edric pulled the dagger from Phaedra's side, and she let out a grunt. "Amalie, do it" he ordered, and Amalie nodded once.

"Don't you dare" Phaedra whispered.

Amalie stared down at her sister, her heart breaking as she saw the utter agony this decision was causing the rogue.

"I'm sorry" Amalie whispered, then began pushing the magic from her hands, letting it slowly close her sister's wounds.

After a few moments, Phaedra pushed Amalie away then stood up on wobbly legs, and stumbled over to where Jasper's limp body lay. Amalie sat on the ground as exhaustion set in. She watched as Phaedra rolled Jasper over on his back, then checked for a pulse. Then, Phaedra shook him repeatedly, begging him to get up. And when he didn't respond, Aveline placed her hand on Phaedra's shoulder, and for the first time since she was a child, Amalie saw her older sister cry.

"Come on" Edric said quietly, offering Amalie a hand up. "Let's go home." Amalie took his offered hand, and the group slowly made their way through the cave. By the time they got back outside, the dark clouds had finally burst, and heavy rain poured down on top of them.

With the rain, it took them nearly twice as long to get back to Athenril's hideout. But when they finally did, Phaedra had been restored to full health, and she burst through the doors angrily. She screamed and blamed Athenril for everything that had happened. She finished by telling Athenril that she quit - which Edric followed up with his, Amalie's, and Aveline's resignation, as well. And then they left, each with a heavy heart, but none heavier than Phaedra's.

And that night, as Amalie lay in bed, she could hear the muffled sobs coming from the front room of Gamlen's house. She tossed and turned in her bed restlessly as she listened to her tough older sister cry for her broken heart, knowing that, in a way, it was her fault.

Of course, they were finally free of Athenril. But at a cost so steep, Amalie had a hard time believing it was worth it.


End file.
